a- tinnerman



1 G. A. TINNERMAN Re. 22,659

FASTENER Original Filed March 25, 1940 EEDREE A .TTNNERMAN Reissue! Aug. 7, 1945 eorporationof Ohio Original m. 2320s, dated-August 10. 194:, Se-

rialNo. 825,857, March 25. 1840. Application m reissue October-'5, 1944, Serial No. 551,00

8 Claims. (CI. 85-36) This invention relates to improvements in various fastening installations for securing an object to a cooperating part by means oi a connecting stud or equivalent screw threaded fastener which must necessarily or desirably project iroin said part at an angle other than substantially perpendicular to the adjacent underface thereof, or extend from a curved or other irregular shaped faceoi such part in fastening" position for the application oi a cooperating sec ring device to the projecting portion of such'c necting stud or the like.

The usual fastening installation in which the connecting stud, or the like, projects at substantial-right angles to a part secured oii'ers no particular problem so long as the cooperating securing device, such as a spring nut or the like,'may be applied. directly to the projecting portion of vention, the article or obiect to 'be secured may be prepared in-the manner of a casting or molded plastic part provided with integral connecting studs, the object being curved however, or havingits underside of curved or other irregular contour corresponding to the surface of the part to which it is to be secured to seat firmly and rigidly,there-' on in attached position. In such a casting or molded plastic part, the object may, of course,

be provided of any desired configuration but in order that the same may be removed from the mold form in any practical way after comple-.'

tion. the connecting studs must all extend in the same general direction in a manner whereby such connecting studs will not lock in the mold form and prevent the completed object from being rethe connecting stud to bear with generally equalized force on the surrounding area or adjacent i ace of the part secured or otherwise be disposed in substantially uniform bearing engagement with such part in a manner whereby the stud engaging means of the spring nut'ls; adapted for proper most effective fastening engagement with the connecting stud. However, if an object is to be secured to. a curved surfaceor inclined part, for example, the connecting studs in many instances cannot usually be designed for the most effective fastening installation in sue a manner as to pass through openings in such part and also project subs to the adjacent facethereof, This, of course, is

curved or inclined tially at right angles moved therefrom after the molding operation.

For this reason, among others, it will be understood that though the connecting studs for the plastic object, casting, or the like, are provided to extend in the same general direction, said cone necting studs project at varying angles to the underside of such object; consequently, when such connecting studs are passed through openings in the part to which the object is to be secured, a number ofsaidconnecting studs will-pre ject at decided angles to the adjacent rearward face of such part. Due to such angular disposition of the connecting studs, the simplest form of spring nut securing device applied directly at sub stantial right angles to the axis of the connecting stud cannot be employed satisfactorily, since in the situation whenever the object is to be secured to a=sheet metal part, for example, having a pronounced curvature and in whichvthe rearward face of such part also is curved when shaped to correspond to the curvature of the objectsecured thereto or otherwise, is of an uneven, inclined or other irregular shaped contour. Accordingly. the cooperating spring nut securing device employed must be oi such nature as to bear firmly-and rigidly upon such curved, uneven, inclined or irregular sha'ped rearward face in a manner where-.- by the stud engaging means of the securing deviceis capable of equal uniform engagement with the connecting stud inwhatever position it-may be disposed in providing an eiiective. reliable fastening installation in which the parts secured are not subject to loosening or removal incident its final applied position, the spring nut willnot have suitable uniform bearing engagement with the adjacent face of the part secured, wherefore .the stud engaging means thereof are not adapted to engage the connecting stud in the most effective manner and a faulty fastening installation results.

The problems involved in fastening installations of this type are quite apparent from-the foregoing, and therefore. a primary object of the present invention contemplates the provision of various improved forms of securing devices constructed in'a'ccordance with principles and teach-.

ings of the instant disclosure to provide simple,

inexpensive, and easily and quickly applied means to vibration and severe jarring effects such as take pla e in the operation of an automobile,

for example. 1

Byway of iurther example of the purpose and utility of the fastening means of the. present infor securing such installations in a most practical and reliable manner such that the-secured members are not subject to loosening or displacement under extreme conditions 'of vibratory motion or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide various securing arrangements for installations 1 55 wherein a connecting stud orequivalent threaded iorm of securing device is Fig.5 is a perspective view of a securing device embodiment of the in'vention in which the Supporting part is of generally employed inanother fastener extends from a curved surface of a secured part'or hasa decided angular disposition sauce lugs and principles oithe securingdevices herewith respect thereto, as aforesaid, and such installaticns embodying improved forms of securins' devices which are of such character as to com- Pensate for such curved surface or for such angular disposition of a connecting stud with respect thereto and otherwise operate to secure the stud with thehishestdegree of eii'ectiveness possible under such conditions.

A further object of the invention is for the provision of such securing means in the manner-of simple, one-piece, sheet metal devices which are cheap and inexpensive to provide and lend themselves to economical quantity production in that.

they may be produced at relativelylow cost from sheet-metal strip stock with little or no-loss or waste of material.

A more specific object or the invention contemplates generally the provision of various tast'ening installations for securing an "object to a in disclosed are equally adaptable to a wide range and variety of other installations. Rig. 1 is intended to illustrate the-general organization of a trim strip installation or mounting of a finishing object onto a generally curved supporting part P, such as the area of the sheet metal part adjacent to or forming a portion of the casing of an automobile headlight, for example.

The finishing object or other article to be secured is designated generally 0 and may be provided in the manner of a plastic molding, metal- I lic die casting, or of any other material used in commercial practice, in many industries. In the present example, said object is shown provided as acne-piece article including integral connecting studs 1, 2, extending in the same general direction from the underside of said object which I -is of curved contour corresponding substantially cooperating part by connecting studs or equivalent screw threaded fasteners whichextcnd in other than Pe pendicular relation to the adiacent face of the part to which the object is se-- cured and embodying one-piece sheet metal se-.'-

curlng devices having the new and improved iea-' tures' of construction which provide. the most eii'ective securing action with the connecting studs, bolts, screws, rivets, or similar stud fasteners in any such relation.

Another specific object o! the invention comprehends such fastening installations in which part P and project therefrom at dii'lerentangles to the adJa'cent underface thereof and other than the object is secured-to a part having a curved underiace and with the cooperating securing deviceof a character adapted to compensate for such curved underiace and provide the most etlective fastening engagement with it connectggstud or screw threaded fastener in this rela- Further objects and advantages and other new and useful features in the construction,-arrange- ,ment and general combination 'ot-parts oi the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art as a description thereof proceeds with rei'erence'to the accompanyingdrawing, for purposesof illustration but not of limitation, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the same, and in which:

Fig. l is an illustration oi oneapplication of the present invention and showing in vertical section a generally curved supporting part and integral connecting with improved forms an obiect secured thereto by studs, or the like, together of securing devices constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the securing device per se shown employed at the left of Fig. 15

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the securing device per se shown employed at the right of Fig. l

, Fig. 4 isa vertical sectional view of afurther j embodiment of the invention in which another employed;

curved configuration; and, g

Fig. '6- is a sectional view illustrating one applicrlzgion and useof the securin g device shown in Referring now, more particularly, to the draw- S-m8. 1 is given as an illustration only of one mlication or the invention, it being understood manner ori'orm inasmuch as the general teachproduction in v the U-shaped sheet metal member ll, Fig, 2, cornto the upper face curvature of said part P in order to seat firmly and rigidlythereon. In this relation, the spaced connecting studs l I, are received in correspondingly spaced openings in said substantially perpendicular thereto. As previously pointed out, the connecting studs .l, 2, in an installation of this character assume such positlon'duje to the fact that said connecting studs are provided on the object to extend in the same general direction in a manner whereby such integral connecting studs, as formed on thelcompleted object, will not lock the object in the mold form and otherwise Prevent the same frombeing easil and quickly removed-therefrom after the molding operation. J

- The connecting stud 'I,' Fig. 1, is shown'as extending from the adjacent face of part P at 'a relatively small dii'ference of angle from perpendicular, and in such cases the securing device is best provided for most economical quantity manner of a generally prising apair of spaced arms II, III The-arm II in such a securing device is preferably a substantially fiat section provided with-a suitable form of clutch means or stud engaging means is adapted for fasteningengagement withthe connecting stud, or for threadedly engaging an equivalent form of threaded fastener which may be employed in a simllarrelation. The arm I 2 is provided with an-enlarged opening I! in alignment with such stud engaging. means and is formed in the manner of a bearing portion havthe invention is not limited thereby in any ing a contour conforming substantially to the general contour of the adjacent face of part P or is otherwise constructed to provide a firm, rigid, bearing engagement with such part in a manner to support the arm H on a plane substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the connecting stud ,l, substantially as shown. A preferred form of such stud engaging means is formed in the manner of cooperating tongues 15 provided by parallel slits in the metal body of arm ll and spaced by air opening tborebetween for receiving, the shank of the connecting stud in positive fastening engagement therewith. iAs designed for use with a threadless connecting stud, rivet, or the like; said tongues are best provided to,extends lightly out of the plane of the arm with their extremities spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the connecting stud. The most effective biting action of the tongues with the associated connecting stud is obtained when the tongue extremioperating arm H,

ties are substantially, oppositely disposed and thereby adapted for substantially equal, uniform bitin engagement with the connecting stud at substantially diametrically opposed points or at points lying in a substantial plane approximately normal to the longitudinal axis of the connecting stud.

It will be understood that though the opening between the extremities of the tongues II is slightly less than the diameter of the connecting stud, when the stud is applied through the opening in one direction,.said tongues will flex outwardly to permit the ready passage of the stud to final applied fastening position, whereupon the extremities of said tongues, being relatively sharp, are adapted to bite or clutch the connecting stud to prevent reverse axial movement or other relative movement of the connecting stud with respect thereto from such applied fastening position. In one form, the said tongues iii are slightly inclined out of the plane of the adjacentmetal body to facilitate the initial insertion of the connecting stud through the opening therebetween to spread said tongues as necessary and cause the same to assume opposing inclined positions in which the tongue extremities bite into the connecting stud in frictional gripping relation therewith. In another form, said tongues may be provided to lie substantially in the general plane of the adjacent metal body whereupon the insertion of the connecting stud will cause the same to flex outwardly to opposing inclined positions in which the tongue extremities. bite into the connecting stud ina similar manner.

Preferably said tongues l are notched at their extremities to provide sharp jaws adapted to cut deeply into a connecting stud under tension to provide a positive locking effect therewith in applied fastening position such that any movement toward withdrawal of the connecting stud will be tenaciously resisted by the tensioned tongues due to their inclined positions in a direction opposed to the reverse axial movement of the connecting stud from such applied fastening position. In effect, any outward pull on the object to remove the connecting stud from engagement with the tensioned tongues causes such jaws to cut still deeper into the root of the connecting stud and provide an even more positive locking action therewith.

As best seen in Fig. 2. in the securing device thus provided, the opening H! in arm I2 is en larged and in suitable alignment with the opening between the tongues i5 carried by arm ll. Said opening 13 is preferably enlarged toprovide any clearance necessary to compensate for possible unforeseen variations in the disposition of the connecting stud and otherwise permit quick and easy insertion of the connecting stud through said opening I3 to"fastening engagement with said stud engaging tongues I5. In this relation, the most effective fastening engagement is obtained, as stated, when the tongue extremities are adapted for substantially equal, uniform biting engagement with the connecting stud at gen.- erally diametrically opposed points or at points lying in a substantial plane approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis thereof; and,

in order to ensure this desired fastening engagement. the bearing arm I! of the device is designed in accordance with the contour of the adjacent underface of the part P on which it bears in order to maintain or otherwise dispose the cocarrying the stud engaging tongues IS, on an approximately normal plane .face of said part P in the desired position for most effective fastening engagement of the tongues IS with the connecting stud, as aforesaid. 1

Fig. 3 shows another form of securing device constructed in accordance with the present invention which is similar in application and use to that described with reference to Fig. 2, but is more advantageously employed where the connecting stud has a greater angular disposition with respect to the adjacent underface of the supporting part. Thus, as illustrated. in Fig. 1. the angular disposition of stud 2 with respect-to the adjacent underface of part P is such that a' securing device of the type shown in Fig. 3 will provide a most effective fastening installation embodying a sheet metal fastener even though a difllcult angle is involved and the installation must be carried out in close quarters. The securing device of Fig. 3 is constructed in a generally triangular configuration comprising the arm 2 l carrying the selected form of stud engaging means, such as tongues l5 similar to those described in Fig. 2, and a bearing arm 22 provided with an enlarged opening 23 in alignment with said tongues, these arms Ii, 22, being rigidly supported by the intermediate connecting section 24 in the desired form of the securing device.

will be understood that the securing device is applied substantially in the manner described with reference to Fig. 2 with the connecting stud 2 passing through opening 23 in arm 22 to the position at which the similar form of stud engaging tongues i5 on arm 2| engage'the connecting stud in the most effective manner, as aforesaid. To this end, the bearing portions of the securing device comprising bearing arm 22 and end portion'25 are designed in accorance with the contour of the adjacent underface of part P in order to maintain or otherwise dispose the arm 2| carrying the stud engaging tongues l5 one plane approximately normal to the axis of the associated connecting stud 2. This arrangement is bestprovided by forming the bearing arm 22 and end portion 25 to lie in a path having a contour conforming substantially to the adjacent underface of part P to bear firmly and rigidly thereon and, of course, the specific configuration of such bearing portions may be varied somewhat, if desired, so long asthe same bear with'generally equalized force on said part P to maintain or otherwise dispose the arm -2l carrying the stud engaging tongues 15 in the desired position in a plane approximately normal to the longitudinal axis of the connecting stud. In this with the connecting stud at substantially diametrically opposed points in equal uniform biting engagement therewith.

- Fig.4 shows a similar fastening installation embodying another form of securing device 3t in which the extremities of the sheet metal section are formed to provide the bearing portions of the device in accordance with the contour of the adjacent. under-face of the supporting part P and the angular disposition of the connecting stud 3 on the object secured to such part. Fig. 4 is intended to illustrate also an installation in which the stud passage I may perhaps by necessity be punched in part P along lines normal to the plane thereof with the usual connecting stud 3 readily received in such stud passage, as shown, to project therefrom in an angular relationship other than perpendicular to the adjacent underface of such part P; In any event, the securing device 30 may also be constructed from a simple, inexpensive section of sheet metal bentto the general configuration shown to include an arm 3!, provided with the selected form of stud engaging means such as tongues l5, and a cooperating bearing arm 32 of' such character as to maintain or dispose said arm 3| on a plane approximately normal to the axis of stud 3, thereby ensuring the most effective fastening action of said tongues I5 with the connecting stud in-substantially equal, uniform biting engagement therewith, substantially as described with reference to Fig. 2. In order to increase the rigidity of the fastening device in such applied fastening position, the extremities of said arms 31,32, are provided in the manner of bearing surfaces 33, 34, respectively, which are designed in accordance with the inclined contour of the underface of part P to firmly and rigidly bear thereon with generally equalized force in applied fastening position.

- disposition-0f the connecting studwith respect Figs. 5 and 6 show a further embodiment of the invention in which cooperating generally 7 curved parts A, B, as illustrated in Fig. 6, for example, are fastened by a securing device of the general'character shown in Fig. 5 which is especially adapted for firm, rigid bearing engagement with the generally curved underface of the supporting part B to which part A is secured by. a

bolt or screw threaded fastener 6,-although a rivet or other threadless connecting. stud integrally provided on the part A may be employed, if desired, in any related form of installation. The securing device 40, Fig. 5, is constructed from a small, inexpensive section of sheet metal with the stud engaging tongues l5 provided from the body of the sheet metal section being similar to those of the previously described forms of the invention except that the extremities. of said tongues are so shaped as to lie on a helix corresponding to the thread of the threaded fastener for most effective uniform, threaded engagement therewith. In this relation, the body of said securing device is of such nature as to bear with generally equalized force on the adjacent underface of the part secured or otherwise bear upon the same in f a, manner whereby the tongues I5 will be suitably supported in the position necessary for enthereto.

Inthe present illustration, an equivalent structure is provided but of less material and reduced cost in that the body of the sheet metal securing device adjoining said tongues i5 is utilized to form the bearing portion of the device. Thus, on either side'of said tongues lEZ Fig. 5, the body of the securing device comprising the side or bridge portions ll are bent into bearing arm portions together with the end portions 42, to assume a generally concave configuration corresponding substantially to the contour of the adjacent underface of part B to bear firmly and rigidly thereon, as shown in Fig. 6. Said tongues l5 thereby extend directly from said base in the direction generally opposite to the general concave configuration thereof and are thereby supported by said base of the securing device in the position for maintaining the tongue extremities in uniform threaded engagement with the threaded fastener 6 at all times, as aforesaid. Accordingly, the bolt or screw 6 may be tightened to any practical degree as may be necessary without danger of collapse or distortion of said tongues IE or otherwise diminishing the effectiveness of the tongue extremities in uniform threaded engagement with the threaded fastener be supported in the desired position for equal,

uniform biting engagement with such connecting stud at substantially diametrically opposed points or at points lying in a plane at substantial right angles to longitudinal axis thereof in providing the most effective fastening installation of this character, substantially as described with reference to the forms of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1-4 inclusive.

Although the securing devices of the present invention are shown as constructed of one-piece sections of relatively thin sheet metal, preferably spring steel, and provided with integral, yieldable substantial tongues struck and formed therefrom, it is fully intended as within the scope of this invention, that the securing devices be constructed from any other suitable sheet metal material such as cold rolled metal, and the like, and provided with various other equivalent forms of stud engaging means. The invention also comprehends the use of connecting studs of any desired'cross section and, if expedient or desirable, provided with shoulders, abutments. grooves, etc., cooperating with the stud engaging means of the securing device in a manner tending to resist withdrawal of a connecting stud and preventing removal of an object as secured to a supporting p'art in applied fastening position.

It will be quite readily rec'ognized that the several forms of securing devices of the present invention are inexpensive, simple, durable, light-inweight, and easily and quickl applied to fastening position by reason of the cooperating yieldthe most effective manner. The yieldable action of the tongues allows them to serve substantially as spring tongues in which relation they are adapted for use with connecting studs of different diameters and various cross-sections in addition to providing a substantially positive locked mounting of an object in assembled relation on a supporting part.

While the invention has been described in detail with specific examples, such examples are intended as illustrations only, since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other modifications in the construction, arrangement ing and range ofequivalency of the claims intended to be embraced therein. I

Reference is made to my divisional application, Serial No. 470,548, filed December 30, 1942, now U. S. Patent No. 2,344,5'l0 issued March 21, 1944, for claims on the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

What is claimed is:

1. A fastener for a stud projecting from an article to be secured through a supporting member comprising a'single piece of sheet-material bent to provide an arm engaging the inner surface of the support and a second arm integrally connected with the first arm and spaced inwardly therefrom and at an acute angle thereto, the first arm which engages the support being spaced from the stud to allow its free passage beyond the arm and the second arm havingstud-engaging means coacting with said stud.

2. A fastener for a stud projecting from an article to be secured through a supporting member comprising a single piece of sheet material bent to provide an arm engaging the inner surface of the support and a/second arm integrally connected with the first arm andspaced inwardly therefrom, said two arms being at an acute angle to each other and connected by a return bend, the first arm having an aperture and the second stud-engaging means, both being positioned to cooperate with said stud.

3. A fastener, comprising a single sheet of metal doubled on itself to provide two arms at an acute angle to each other, one of the arms being curved and having an opening through it for the passage of a stud and the other arm having stud-engaging means deformed from the arm about an opening through it and adapted to coact with a stud passing through the first open- 4.. A fastener made of a.single piece of sheet metal having three arms connected in series, one extreme arm having an opening through it for the passage of a stud, the intermediate arm leading from the end of said extreme arm at an acute angle thereto and the third arm leading from the other end of the intermediate arm at an angle to it into a region adjacent the free end of the first arm, the last mentioned arm having an opening and stud-engaging means about the opening adapted to coact with a stud passing through the openings of the first and third arms.

5. A fastening device made of a single strip of metal and having an arm with an opening through it and stud-engaging means deformed from said arm about the opening, a second arm leading from one end of the first arm at an angle thereto and two extensions leading from the free ends of said two arms, each extension being at an angleto the arm carrying it and the two lying in substantially the same plane.

6. A- fastener for clamping together an apertured member and a second member having a stud passed through the aperture of the first named member, said fastener being .formed of spring material and'having inner and outer arms normally disposed in divergent untensioned relation, each of said arms being formed with a stud receiving opening, stud gripping means associated with the outer fastener arm, said fastener being compressible by movement of the arms thereof to a less divergent relation with the stud receiving openings in registering alignment when both arms of said fastener are passed over the stud to enable said tongues to grip tightly said stud.

. l. A fastener for clamping together an apertured member and a second member having a stud passed through the aperture of the first named member, said fastener being formed of spring material and having inner and outer arms normally disposed in divergent untensioned relation, each of said arms being formed with a stud receiving opening, a plurality of stud gripping tongues on said outer arm surrounding said opening thereof, said fastener being compressible by movement of the arms thereof to a less divergent relation with the stud receiving openings in registering alignment when both arms of said-fastener are passed over the stud to enable said tongues to grip tightly said stud.

8. A fastener for securing a plurality of memhere in tensioned clamped engagement, one of said members being apertured and the other member having a stud extending through the aperture of said first named member, said fastener being formed of a single piece of spring material having normally divergent inner and outer arms, each having a stud receiving aperture, stud G pping means associated with the outer arm and surrounding the stud receiving opening thereof, said fastener being compressible by movement of the arms thereof to a less divergent relation, when the stud receiving openings of both, arms are passed over the stud so that said inner arm of saidfastener will bear against the outer face of said apertured member and said outer arm tightly grip said stud member to maintain said members in tight clamping engagement.

GEORGE A. 

